Saudi Pro League 2023/2024: when the league that is trying to catch all the biggies in Europe starts. Here are the “foreigners” who will take the field
Few players playing in Europe have decided to say no to Arab millions. They can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Modric, for example, stayed at Real Madrid. The others, however, have decided to fly to the other side of the World to play.
The first was Cristiano Ronaldo, who from January onwards is trying his hand at a totally new league for him. And the Portuguese of course has the task of carrying the title, which in the first season slipped out of his hand. And from when will CR7 start playing? Well, the starting date for what is perhaps the most anticipated league – because it has generated so much curiosity – is set for next August 12, and it will end in May 2024. Let us now look at what are the “foreign” players who will play, with a slew of Brazilians making up the teams’ rosters. The market there, it is fair to remember, is also run by the government, which is trying hard to make attractive a league that, until Ronaldo arrived, was unknown. Since then things have changed.
Saudi Pro League, here are all the foreigners
There are 18 clubs that will start the season, also a change since the number of teams has gone up by two from last season. Yes, there will obviously be an attempt to give more appeal, and only more matches can give this thing.
Benzema
Each team can have a maximum of 8 “foreigners” on its roster. The most represented nation is Brazil with 26 players. In Al Nassr, Ronaldo’s team, there will also be Ospina, Alex Telles, Seko Fofana, Brozovic and Sadio Mané who arrived from Bayern Munich. While Benzema and Kanté will play in Al-Ittihad with Fabinho formerly from Liverpool and Jota. Koulibaly, in the Al Hilal will play along with Ruben Neves, Malcom and Milinkovic Savic. While goalkeeper Mendy will defend the posts in the Al Ahli where Allan Saint-Maximin, Firmino, Mahrez and Ibanez is also coming.
Ah, in that league, specifically in Abha, the star striker will be Caicedo. Yes, that’s right, the former Lazio man. The one who only scored in the last minutes of the game. So much so that for a while there was no longer talk of the Cesarini zone but of the Caicedo zone. Is that the end of it? Macché, who knows how many more will come between now and the close of the market, set for September 20 after those of the major European leagues.
The most important matches of the championship, one per day, will be broadcast free to air by La7.